Thank you to St. Martin's Press for giving me a free electronic galley of this book in exchange for feedback.

This book was fun!

A group of philosophers sets up a stand in a public place with a sign that says "Ask a Philosopher."

This book collects some of the most popular questions, and some of the most interesting ones, each one followed by an essay attempting an answer to the question.

I liked the author's actual answers, and also the way the book moved quickly from one question to another, so I never got bored, even when one specific question wasn't really doing it for me.

Why should I read this book?

If you like to think about the great questions in life - then this book is for you. But if you’re interested in every day basic questions this book is for you too. This covers from the meaning of life to why not everyone loves jelly beans, but in a philosophical way. Every chapter starts just like this review, with a question as a prompt and a few paragraphs trying to discuss the topic in order to get to a (provisional) answer.

As for why you should this book, it is interesting to discuss some of life’s most intriguing questions. Even if philosophy does not provide a clear cut answer for most of those questions, it will at least make you think about them in a different way. Or just think about them, really, because some of the questions are things you didn’t even know they could be posited as a philosophical question.

To be quite honest, I thought philosophy was "much ado about nothing," but apparently, it's a lot more mind-boggling and confusing. Although the wording was simple, it was complex, and for many parts of the book, I was in over my head. For that, I can see this book being a great starter into the field of philosophy for those interested, but it just wasn't my type of read.

The book covers the basics of common questions asked from Olasov's "Ask a Philosopher" booth he sets up in the tristate area and even online, where people can ask ethical or life questions of their own or draw a slip of paper out from a fishbowl to kickstart the conversation. He emphasizes that philosophy is not just for "big-brained" people, but for all, and the field is not limited to complex or scientific questions but even simpler ones, such as "what is happiness" or "what is love."

Overall, great, rudimentary read for those interested in philosophy, but echoing my prior sentiments, just not my type of book or genre.

This book was super interesting! I really enjoyed reading the philosopher's answers to many popular questions about life, love and purpose. I wouldn't call it the most useful book, but it's a good one to crack open when you just want to sit and think about things or have a laugh.

Ian Olasov has written an interesting book, students of philosophy may find it more enjoyable that I did. Some answers to the various questions are very good, I agreed with several of them. His answers could be funny, although at other times I was bored with his responses to a few questions. My favorite answers were to the questions such as: Why Should I Care?, Do Plants think?, and What is Love? (which contained one of the most beautifully written descriptions of the word). My final verdict is that this is one of those books where you read the sections you want and skip the rest of it. Lastly, I think this book could have been alot better if instead of presenting counter arguments to his own answers, Ian could have been in dialogue with another philosopher who would give their opinions on the same questions. They would not have to disagree all the time but I think it would be more beneficial to the reader to hear the thought process of another scholar alongside Ian.

Thanks to NetGalley, Thomas Dunne Books, and Ian Olasov for a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released on September 15, 2020.

This was a quick and really fun read. Despite confronting a few serious ideas in a small way it really stayed light, which was super commendable. Most importantly, I learned a ton, which I cherish! I've read similar books and don't think it blew me away with originality which is why I docked a star, but would definitely recommend picking this up. I'd especially recommend this as a gift for family members/ friends etc that are not huge readers, or just want a fun book to dive into to learn something new

Ask a Philosopher is a book filled with questions that are on people's minds. When Philosopher Ian Olasov sets up a booth, these are the questions people ask him. By answering them in print, he provides a beginner overview of both philosophy and human nature. I'd use this with upper Middle Grade or high school kids as part of a human geo class, or another humanities-based course.

This book gives a very brief overview of a lot of topics. I believe the authors aim is to provoke your philosophical thoughts on these topics as philosophers believe in teaching people how to think for themselves and to develop critical thinking skills and I do believe in parts this is successful.

If you’re looking for an introduction to philosophy as a whole this could be a good starting point for you as it covers a wide range of topics in a way that will get you wanting to know more about each topic.

From someone who has a philosophy degree, I enjoyed the way this booked was presented. I enjoyed the very accessible style of writing the author had and if I put myself in the shoes of someone who knows nothing on philosophy I believe I would enjoy it.

Some topics have more substance to them than others and some introduce arguments that are used within those areas of philosophy. I just really wanted more. I felt like each chapter was slightly too short for me to really invest in the questions. But that could be because I’m used to reading the likes of Kant who can really go into detail about epistemology and ethics.

A great explanation of life's most interesting questions. The author bases the philosophy questions on real questions that have been asked of his team when they set up "Ask a Philosopher" booths. It was interesting to not only learn about the most common questions but the type of people who ask them and why. There was a little more science involved in the explanations that I expected but overall the author presents philosophy in a clear and understandable manner for the reader.